Again, respectfully, I disagree in a way. Some of them may have been ubitiquous, but it was her delivery, her voice, the 'sound' of her band, the 'torch' effect of her songs. Same message as others, different delivery system. That's what I loved then and still love. Inventive, musical, and a real voice.
It was obvious for awhile that she was a girl with issues, so, I'm glad she moved on. We all do. I'm also glad to say her issues never dipped to Madonna lows!
Well, we all have those issues from time to time, maybe that's what appealed to me, and still does. She is a different kind of singer than Madonna. Instead of being a 'performer', she is a musician first, and it shows in her music. Let's hope she keeps away from the Madonna path as she continues in her career.
I agree with your comments. Gwen first hooked me with the melody of "Don't Speak", and the line "Don't tell me cause it hurts" is one of those simple statements that just rings so true. And quite frankly, I'm sure she didn't write them for middle-aged men to enjoy...I just couldn't ignore it.
I love TALENT no matter where it surfaces, and if the hype is attached to talent, all the better--as in beautiful Gwen's case. Otherwise, hype in itself does absolutely nothing for me.
If I could write one song half as good as "Don't Speak" (written when she was what, 18, 19?), I'd quit my job and pursue songwriting fulltime, instead of just as a creative outlet from boring financial business!